Cigarette-filling machine.



PATENT'ED OCT. 9, 1906.

A. G. KATZKY.. CIGARETTE FILLING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED P531. 1905.

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N0. 832,"!95. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

A. G. KATZKY-.

CIGARETTE FILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED mm. 1905.

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PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

A. G. KATZKY.

' CIGARETTE FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 19.05.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

No. 832,795. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

A. G. KATZKY.

OIGARETTE FILLING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED IBB.6. 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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CIGARETTE-FILLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9,1906.

Application filed February 6,1905. Serial No. 244,378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER GRIcoRE- wrrsorr KATZKY, engineer, a subject of the Emperor of Russia, residing at 12 Roschdestwenskaja, Quartier 51, St. Petersburg, in the Russian Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cigarette-filling machine in which the tobacco, which is placed in a store-chamber, is automatically divided, conveyed to a filling form or mold, pressed into the form of a core of tobacco, pushed into the previously-prepared cigarette-tube by means of -a rammer, the end of the tobacco projecting from the tube cut off, and the finished cigarette'left in a condition to be removed from the machine.

This machine is distinguished by two essential characteristics: First, by the peculiar distribution or division of the tobacco, the special feature of which is that the tobacco separated from the continuously-fed forward mass thereof by a quickly-rotating breakingoff roller is thrown by centrifugal force against a wall of a distributing-chamber and then repeatedly thrown up and down by two beaters revolving in opposite directions and placed below the aforesaid breaking-01f roller in such manner that a thorough opening and mixing of every part of the tobacco is effected, so that it can be easily collected in a uniform layer in a channel. The introduction of the tobacco into this channel and its removal therefrom are also effected by peculiar means, as it is pressed by a continuously-rotating spiked roller, the spikes of which take into the openings of a grating into a channel formed on the one side by this grating and on the other side by a suitable glass wall, while the removal of the tobacco from the channel is effected by an intermittentlydriven spiked roller. By properly arranging the speeds of these tworollers, the one moving continuously and the other intermittently, but both turning considerably slower than the aforesaid breaking-off roller and beaters, it is easy to adjust so that there shall never be a gap or void space in the channel between the two spiked rollers, but that the said channel shall always be uniformly filled and that the tobacco removed by the lower roller shall be taken away immediately after each movement of the latter. Secondly,

the tobacco thus uniformly distributed and loosened is conducted to a pressing-mold by means of an intermittently-moved traveling band, the feature of the said pressingmold being that an interchangeable presspiece has formed in it a hole or bore of suitable shape and size, open at the top, but with sides which extend up vertically and stand at a definite distance from one another.

This distance apart corresponds to the thickness of an up-and-down moving stamp, the

lower surface of which is so shaped that when the stamp is in its lowest position it completes the circular hole or bore through the press-piece. By this means the advantage is obtained that the size of the mold can be easily altered without its being necessary, as heretofore, to effect a special centering of the press organs. In order to alter the size of the mold, it is only necessary after taking out the press-piece to put in another which has the same external dimensions, but a different bore, which is likewise open at the top and provided with upwardly extending sides, which are the same distance apart as in the previously-used press-piece, so that the thickness of the fresh stamp to be put in is the same as that of the previously-used stamp, but that the lower limiting-surface of the fresh stamp is turned out to another radius corresponding to the required size of mold. The entire press-piece and stamp thus always occupy the same position in the machine, whatever size of mold may be 6111- ployed.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a machine constructed in accordance with my in vention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of same, and Fig. 3 a transverse section of the press-mold drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the means for operating roller 9 and belt Z. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the mold.

In a trough with two side walls, the bottom of which is formed by a slowly but continuously moving traveling band a, lies the tobacco in a tolerably deep layer, which is conveyed slowly in the direction of the arrow to the distributing apparatus. In order to enable the movement of the tobacco by the band a to be regulated within wide limits by graduations, the driving of the band is effected by means of a friction driving-disk in which a driving friction-roller is movable radially from the outer edge of the frictiondisk to the center thereof. The axis of the disk carries a worm which transmits motion to the band by means of a worm-wheel. A roller 1) near the left-hand end of the band moves at the same surface speed as the latter and serves to assist the forward movement of the tobacco. The tobacco is broken off from the mass brought forward by the band by a quickly-rotating spiked roller 0, and the separated tobacco is driven b y centrifugal force against the left-hand side wall of the distributing apparatus.

In the space or chamber below the spiked roller 0 are arranged beaters d and e, which revolve in opposite directions, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, but slower than the spikedroller' c, although with considerable speed, and consequently they act upon the tobacco by centrifugal force. The boaters are so shaped and take such a position with reference to each other that they command the whole space below the spiked roller. The tobacco which after leaving the breakingoff roller 0 is thrown by the centrifugal force against the wall of the space or chamber strikes the beater d, by which it is thrown against the beater e, which in turn throws the tobacco upward, so that the latter is thrown several times up and down and is thereby thoroughly mixed and uniformly distributed. The lighttoba'cco-dust which falls before it is seized'by' the breaking-off roller likewise reaches the beater e and is thrown upward thereby. As the heaters rotate very quickly, the mixing and distribution of the tobacco is extremely effective, so that the latter is well prepared for the uniform filling of the cigarette-tubes. In this condition the tobacco falls between the beaters d and 6 onto a spiked roller f, which is rotated slowly, uniformly, and continuously and takes with its spikes or teeth between the openings of a wall h, which is formed as a grating at its upper end, so that the tobacco 1S conducted by the spiked roller into the space or channel inclosed between the wall It and a hinged glass plate 2', in which channel it is collected in a tolerably consistent uniform layer, which is gradually pressed downward by the tobacco entering above. A lower spiked roller g, which moves at about the same speed as the roller f, though not continuously like it, but intermittently, seizes the tobacco and conducts it to the intermittently-moving traveling band Z, which is led round the two rollers 14. The speed at which the rollers f and g and the traveling band Z are driven may be accurately regulated to suit the size of the cigarette being made, and the speeds at which the breaking-off roller 0 and the heaters d and e are driven are likewise so adjustable independently of one another that the exact required quantity of tobacco to be taken from the rollers f and 9 can be fed to them. From the traveling band Z the tobacco passes intermittently to the filling press or mold after it has passed the spiked roller y, Fig. 3, which is rotated intermittently by the passing tobacco and the teeth of which take through a grating. The end of the layer of tobacco which lies next to the mold rests on a curved base 1' and is cut off and pushed into the bore t of the press-piece s by means of a swinging knife 9), which acts against a removable cutting edge e, held in place by a wedge 0.

l The quantity of tobacco cut off is so calculated that it is just sufficient to produce a core of tobacco suitable for the ci arettetube to be filled. The knife p has a acet or bevel to, which when the knife has been swung outward takes such a position that it forms a vertical closing-surface for the descending stamp 90 and a guide for the tobacco.

The press consists of three parts-namely, the press-piece s, the stamp m, and the knife 19, with its facet or bevel w. In order to make the parts of the press exchangeable, which is of very great importance when it is required to alter the size of the mold, a cylindrically-turned press-piece s is employed, which is shown clearly in the crosssection, Fig. 3. The bore 25 of this piece, which is open at top, extends up intotwo vertical sides 2, which are the same distance apart for all sizes of molds, so that a stamp w of equal thickness can be used for all sizes of molds. For the various sizes of molds nothing more is necessary than that the bore 15 of the mold opposite the rammer is made of the required size and that the lower acting surface of the stamp w is turned out to a radius which corresponds with that of the mold-bore. The press-piece s is held fast in its working position by a vertical movable plate u, resting in a guide, which plate is pressed downward by a wedge 11. If now the size of the mold is to be altered, it is only necessary to loosen the wedge 12 and to turn the presspiece 8 somewhat in the direction of the hands of a clock by means of a key taking into two holes in the face of the press-piece, so that the upper left-hand flat bounding-surface of the presspiece raises the plate to. By this means the press-piece is loosened in such a manner that it can be drawn out without further trouble. Another press-piece with a different bore suited to the required size of mold is then easily inserted, and as this piece has the same external shape as the piece taken out and fits exactly into the same opening it is only necessary after inserting the fresh piece to refix the wedge 42, and thus secure the press-piece in the desired position, and thereby to center it without further trouble. Then the stamp .11: is removed and a fresh one, the lower surface ofwhich is suited to the size of the fresh mold, is put in its place, and as this stamp has the same thickness as that previously used it is only necessary to descent of the stamp, and consequent closing of the mold, the core of tobacco thereby formed is pressed out of the mold in the usual way by means of a rammer and is pushed into the.cigarettetube previously placed in position ready to receive it, and the cutting off of the projecting end of the tobacco andv theremoval from the machine of the finished cigarette are then effected in the usual way.

The main shaft 40, Fig. 2, carries a loose and fixed pulley 1'6 and 17, which drive the machine. A fly-wheel 14 and pulley 15 are mounted on the same shaft. Said pulley 15 drives shaft 39 by means of pulley 18 and belt 38, Fig. 1. A bevel-gear 51 is mounted on shaft 39, this gear driving another bevelgear 52, and thereby the vertical shaft 20. The upper end of shaft 20 carries a bevelgear 32, engaging a bevel-gear 33. Thus the roller 0 is moved. Shaft 20 carries, further, a screw 21, engaging a screw-wheel 22. Mounted on the same shaft as said screw-wheel is a spur-wheel 23, engaging another gear, rigidly connected to the upper pin-rollerf, and thus continually driving same. Mounted on the same axle with roller 0 is a band-pulley 55. A band or belt 34 runs over it and drives the band-pulley 35. The latter is mounted on the axle of the upper wing 61 and drives same in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. Rigidly mounted on shaft d is a cog-wheel 36, engaging a cog-wheel 37, connected to the wing d, which is thus driven.

A friction-pulley 24, suitably made of rubber, is mounted on shaft 20, said pulley driving a friction-disk 25, the latter being mounted on shaft 56, engaging, by means of a worm 26, a worm-wheel 27, the latter being connected to a cog-wheel 28, Fig. 1, engaging a spur-wheel 29, and thus rotates shaft 59, said shaft operating the tobacco-feeding band a, which moves slowly and continually in the direction of the arrow. (Shown in Fig. 1.) Said friction-pulley 24, Fig. 2, is displaceable on shaft 20 to regulate the driv ing speed of disk and the transportingband a. Shaft 59 also carries a cog-wheel 30, which by means of a cog-wheel 31 continually turns roller 1) in the direction of the arrow in order to feed the tobacco slowly into the machine between this roller and band.

The stepbyste p motion of roller g and belt 1 may be accomplished, as indicated in Fig. 4, by the following devices: A cam 41 on shaft is adapted to engage a friction-roller 42 on the lower end of a double-armed lever 60, pivoted at 58 on a suitable support, the

lever being controlled by a spring 61, attached to its upper end, and a support 44, so as to swing its lower end and roller 42 toward the cam. The amount of this movement is regulated by an adjustable screw 43, tapped through the upper arm of lever 60 and abutting against the support 44. The lower arm of lever 60 isconnected by a link 45 to one arm of a bell-crank lever 46, pivoted on the shaft of roller 7c, over which belt 1 runs, and a pawl 47 on lever 46 engages a ratchet 76 on the roller and imparts an intermittent rotation thereto. The other arm of'lever 46 is connected by link 48 to a lever g, pivoted on the shaft of roller g and carrying a pawl 49, engaging a ratchet g on the said roller. Thus each time lever is oscillated by the cam 41 the belt 1 and roller 9 are given a partial movement, the extent of said movement depending upon the amount of displacement of lever 60 by cam 41, and this being regulable by screw 43.

The stamp 20 is moved in the following manner: Said stamp is fixed on a slide 7, connected to a swinging lever 10, which gears with a roll 26 in a groove 4 of disk 6 The rotation of shaft 40 thus operates the up-anddown movement of stamp 90. Knife 1) is actuated by two disks 5 and 6, the former of which operates the swinging and the latter the up-and-down movement of said knife. At each rotation of shaft 40 the knife executes an up-and-down movement through the intermediation of disk 5, lever 8, link 9, (shown in dotted lines,) and lever 10, while disk 6 and lever 11, links 12 and 13 bring about the swinging movement of said knife. The two positions which the knife assumes are shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. It should be noted here that roller y has no special driving means, but is carried around by the tobacco.

Fig. 5 shows the working of the wedge i), which presses the plate a downward upon the press-form s and keeps it in position. Said form has in its front end 2 little bores 8, into which a key may be inserted, and then by turning this key the plate 11. can be moved away from the form, which can then be easily withdrawn.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. In a cigarette-filling machine acontinuously-moving traveling band a and roller 1), a continuously-rotating spiked roller 0, continuously-rotatingbeaters d, e, a continuouslyrotating spiked roller f, an intermittentlyrotating spiked roller g, a channel between the rollers f and g, one side it of which is formed as a grating at its upper end, through the openings in which grating the spikes of the roller f pass, and the other side i of which channel is formed of a hinged glass plate i, a traveling band Z, an up and down moving and swinging knife 19 having a bevel w,a

press-mold s, i open at top, and a stamp 01, combined and operating substantially as de scribed and for the purpose set forth.

, 2. In a cigarette-filling machine, a continuously-rotating spiked roller f, an intermittently-rotating spiked roller 9, a channel formed by the sides h, i between the rollers f and g, and a traveling band Z, combined and operating substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. I11 a cigarette-filling machine, a chamber, a continuously-rotating spiked roller at the upper end thereof, an intermittentlyrotating lower spiked roller g, closing the lower end of said chamber; with means for regulating the speed of the roller and means for giving a step-by-step movement to the lower roller 9.

4. In a cigarette-machine, the combina tion of a chamber into which the tobacco is fed, a breaking-off or shredding roller at the inlet of the chamber, an outlet-channel from said chamber, means to feed material into said channel, and an inter111ittently-runnin feed out device at the outlet end of sai channel; with a mold comprising a presspiece, a coacting stamp, and means for directing the material delivered from said channel into said mold, substantially as described.

5. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a chamber into which the tobacco is fed, a breaking-off or shredding roller at the inlet of the chamber, an outlet-channel from the chamber, a contimrously-rotating roller adapted to feed material into said channel, and an intermittently-operating feed-out device at the outlet end of said channel; with a mold comprising a press piece, a coacting stamp, and means for directing the material delivered from said channel into said mold, substantially as described.

6. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a chamber into which the tobacco is fed, a breaking-off or shredding roller at the inlet of the chamber, an outlet-channel from said chamber, means to feed material into said channel, and an intermittently-runnin feed-out device at the outlet end of said channel; with a mold, a passage leading to said mold, means for forwarding the tobacco from the channel to and through said passage, and a knife adapted to. cut portions of material ejected from the passage and move them into the mold, substantially as described.

7. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a chamber into which the tobacco is fed, a breaking-off or shredding roller at the inlet of the chamber, an outlet-channel from the chamber, a continuously-rotating roller adapted to feed material into said channel, and an intermittently-operating feed-out device at the outlet end of said channel; with a mold, a passage leading to said mold, means for forwarding the tobacco from the channel to and through said passage, and a knife adapted to cut portions of material ejected from the passage and move them into the mold, substantially as described.

8. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a mixing-chamber, means for mixing the material fed therein, an outlet-channel from said chamber, a continuously-operating feed-roller at the entrance of said channel, and an intermittently-operating feed-roller at the outlet end of said channehwith a mold, a passage leading to said mold, an intermittently-operating device for forwardin material delivered from said channel to sai passage, and a knife adapted to sever the material into proper-sized portions before it reaches the mold.

9. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a mixing-chamber, a shredding-roller at the inlet thereof, beaters for mixing the material therein, an outlet-channel from said chamber, a continuously-operating feedroller at the entrance of said channel, and an intermittentlyoperating feedroller at the outlet end of said channel; with a mold, a passage leading to said mold, an intermittently-operatin' device for forwarding material delivere from said channel to said passage, and a knife adapted to sever the material into proper-sized portions, and deliver it to the mold, substantially as described,

10, In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a tobacco-feeding'channel, means for feeding a layer of tobacco therethrough, a mold adjacent the end of said channel, said mold being circular in cross-section, but fiattened at top, and having aconcentric bore corresponding to the cigarette to be made and also having a slot in its upper flattened side opening into said bore, a slotted member above the bore against the under side of which the flattened side of the mold is pressed, and a reciprocating plunger adapted to pass through said slots into the mold to press the tobacco thereinto.

11. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a chamber into which the tobacco is fed, a continuously-operating breaking-off or shredding roller at the inlet of the chamber an outlet-channel from said chamber, means to feed material into said channel, and a feed-out roller at the outlet end of said channel, and means for giving a step-by-step movement to said feed-out roller, substantially as described.

12. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a chamber into which the tobacco is fed, a breaking-off or shredding roller at the inlet of the chamber, an outlet-channel from the chamber, a continuously-rotating roller in the chamber adapted to feed material into said channel, a feed-out roller at the outlet end of said channel, and means for giving a stepbystep movement to said feed-out roller, substantially as described.

13. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a mixing-chamber, means for feeding material thereto, means for mixing the material fed therein, an outlet-channel from said chamber, a continuously operating feedroller in the chamber at the entrance of said channel, an outfeed-roller at the outlet end of said channel, and means for giving a step bystep movement to said outfeed-roller, substantially as described.

14. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a mixing-chamber, a shredding-roller at the inlet thereof, oppositely-rotating beaters for mixing the material therein, an outlet-channel from said chamber, a continuously-operating feed-roller at the entrance of said channel, an outfeed-roller at the outlet end of said channel,'an"d means for giving a step-by-step movement to said outfeed-roller, substantially as described.

15 The combination of a stationary mold, a passage for directing material thereto, and a knife adapted to cut off a proper quantity of material ejected from the passage and deliver it to the mold; with means for intermittently feeding material forward in said passage, a supply-channel connecting with said passage a roller for delivering material from said channel, and means for giving said roller a step-by-step motion, substantially as described.

16. The combination of a stationary mold, a passage for directing material thereto, and a knife adapted to cut off a proper quantity of material ejected from the passage and deliver it to the mold; with a belt for intermittently feeding the material forward in said passage, a supply-channel, and a continuously-operating roller for feeding material thereinto, a roller for delivering material from said channel, and means for giving said roller a step-by-step motion.

17. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of tobacco-feeding devices, a slotted member to which the tobacco is fed, a cigarette-mold having a feed-slot in one side, means for holding the mold against said slotted member, and areciprocating plunger operating through the slotted member adapted to press the tobacco into said mold; with a reciprocating and oscillating cutter, adapted to sever a predetermined amount of tobacco from the layer issuing from the feed devices, move such severed portion over the slotted member into position between the mold and plunger, hold it in position during the descent of the plunger, and then withdraw, sub stantially as described.

18. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a tobacco-feeding channel, means for forwarding tobacco therethrough, a slotted member adjacent the end of the channel, a mold below said member having a feedslot in its upper side, and a reciprocating plunger operating through the slotted member adapted to press the tobacco into said mold; with a reciprocating and oscillating cutter having a beveled cutting edge adapted to sever a predetermined amount of tobacco from the layer issuing from the feedchannel, move such severed portion across the slotted member into position between the mold and plunger, and to hold it in position during the descent of the plunger, and then withdraw, substantially as described.

19. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a slotted member, a mold circular in cross-section, but flattened at top, and having a bore corresponding to the cigarette to be made, and a slot in the upper flattened side of the mold coinciding with the slot in said member, means for holding the mold against the under side of the slotted member, and a reciprocating plunger adapted to pass through said slots into the mold to press the tobacco thereinto; with means for feeding a tobacco-strip toward the mold, a reciprocating and oscillating cutter-blade having a beveled edge and adapted to sever a portion of tobacco from the infed strip, move itacross the slotted member into position over the mold, retain it there until the plunger descends and presses it into the mold, substantially as described.

20. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a tobacco-feeding channel, means for feeding a layer of tobacco therethrough, a slotted member adjacent the end of said channel, a mold circular in cross-section, but flattened at top, and having a concentric bore corresponding to the cigarette to be made, and a slot in the upper flattened side of the mold coinciding with the slot in the slotted member, means for holding the flattened sideof the mold against said slotted member, and a reciprocating plunger adapted to pass through said slotted member into the mold to press the tobacco thereinto with a reciprocating and oscillating cutter-blade having a beveled edge and adapted to sever a portion of tobacco from the infed layer, move it over the slotted member into position over the mold, and retain it there until the plunger descends and presses it into the mold, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER GRIGOREWITSCH KATZKY.

Witnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HAsPER.

IIO 

